Combined chair and table



Jan. 26, 1954 wHALEN 2,667,208

COMBINED CHAIR AND TABLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 15, 1951 INVENT R 115/312 Afflga/r/v Jan. 26, 1954 J. N. WHALEN COMBINED CHAIR AND TABLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 15, 1951 FIG; 4

ATTORNE 5 Patented Jan. 26, 1954 NT OFFICE COMBINED CHAIR AND TABLE John N. Whalen, Whitinsvllle, Mass assignor to Frank A. Bronze, Arlington, Mass.-

Application December 15, 1951, Serial No. 261,768

Claims. (01. 15549) This invention relates to convertible high chairs, and more particularly to an article of furniture consisting of a table member and a chair member which may be used as a low table and chair, or which may be combined to form ahigh chair. f

Several prior proposals for supporting a chair on a table for use as a high chair have been made. In some instances the horizontal supporting members orrunners of the chair, when assembled, rest on the top of the table. results in scratching or otherwise injuring the surface of the table detracting from its appearance when used as a table.

Another proposal is the provision of channel bars on the under surface of the table top in which the horizontal runners of the chair are received. This construction is open to several objections. Either the channel bars must be accurately spaced in parallelism to avoid binding This when the chair runners areinserted, or a toler- I ance must be provided to allow assembly even though the channel members are slightly out of parallel. This results in the production of many chair and table combinations in which the chair is loose when mounted on the table and is therefore unsatisfactory.

In "the present invention, I provide a table having a pair of U-shaped leg members at the sides, and having cross bar at the front and back. The front cross bar is provided with spaced pins adapted to be received in openings in the horizontal runners of the chair. The top of the table is hinged to permit it to be raisedwhen the chair is inserted. The rear horizontal runner of the chair rests upon the rear cross bar of the table. When the table top is lowered, it is retained in position by a spring catch.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown one embodiment of the invention. In this show mg:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the table member and chair member assembled as a high chair; 7

Fig. 2 is a similar view ofthe chair;

Fig. 3 is a similar viewof the table with the top in raised position;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional. view of the assembled unitsf" Fig. 5 is a horizontal, sectional view on line 5'-5 of Fig. 4; 1

Fig. 6 is a detailed view illustrating the folding of the table leg;

Fig. '7 is a detailed sectional view on line 11 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a detailed sectional, view on line 8-8 ofFig.1;and

Fig. 9 is a similar view on line $9 of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, the assembly con sists of a chair member 2 and a table member 3. The two units maybe assembled with the chair on. the table, as illustrated in Fig. l, to form a high chair, or the chair may rest on the floor or ground, as in Fig. 2, to form a low table and chair combination. V r Thechair includes a seat 6 and a back 8, the back being adjustable asshown in Fig. 4. Apair of frame members Hi, which may be of tubular stock, are arranged at each side of the chair. These frame members include substantially vertical portions l2 extending above and below the seat. The front of the seat is connected to these vertical portions by clips 14 .(see Fig. 4). The upper ends of the frame members extend rearwardly abovethe seat to. form arms I 6.. Vertically extendingsupports 18 are connected to the rear of the arms, and support the rear of theseat. Below the seat the members l2 merge into horizontal side.runners 2, connected by a rear runner 22. A f0ot rest 24 may be secured to vertical members [2, below'the seat. Movement of the back of the seat may be limited by member 25, pivotally mounted on the vertical supports 18.. The chair may be provided with safety straps (not shown) and guard rails 23 maybe arranged between the seat and the arms IE.

Referring particularly to Fig. 3, the table includes a pair of U-shaped leg members 30, one arranged at each side. Each of these members consists of a pair of legs 32 and a connecting portion 3'4. A plate 3 6 is secured to each of the leg members. The plates 36 form connecting means between the leg members and cross bars 38 and 4 0, and, also serve to reinforce and strengthen the table. The construction further permits folding. the legs to make the table more compact for transportation. As hown, the ends of plates 35 extend downwardly as at 42 conforming to the contourof the leg members. The leg members are pivotedtorthe plates by pins 44. The connecting portions 34 of the leg members are provided with openings (see Fig. 7) and the plates 36 are provided with aligned openings. When the table legs are in'normal position, a bolt 46 is passed through thesaopenings, and a nut is arranged on the bolt as shown. By removing the bolt, the legs may be folded parallel to the cross bars, the leg member being shown partially folded in full lines in Fig.1 66f the drawings.

Cross bars 38 and dll'a'r arranged at the front and back of the table. They-are secured to the plates 36, support the tabletop, and also support the chair, when the two members are asbar 33. As shown in cross bar to permit chair to be received between the table top. When the ta the cross bars and pressed locking pin 60 is carried by cross bar 38.

V ..A co-operating member 62 is carried on the under v provided with an surface of the table top, and is opening 64 for the reception of pin $6. The member 62 is also dimensioned to space the table top a sufiicientdistance above crossbar 38 for reception of the runners 20 of the chair.

When the chair is placed on the, table, the rear runner 22 rests on rear cross member @5 (see Fig. 5), and the side runners 29 are supported by the front cross member 38 adjacent their forward ends. To prevent accidental displacement or movement of the chair, I provide a pair of pins 66 mounted on the front cross member 38 and spaced from each other a distance equal to the distance between side runners at the point where they are over the cross member. These pins are received in openings 68 i i-runners 28 (see Fig. 9) where the chair is mounted on the table. The chair is thus positively held against movement orv displacement. i

In operation, when the chair is to be assembled with the table, locking pin 60 is'disengaged from opening 64 and the table top partially raised, as in Fig. 3. This permits the chair runners to be inserted between the table top and the cross bars 3840. With the front of .the top raised as in Fig. 3, it also permits pins 66 to be received in openings 98 in the runners 20. When the chair runners are in properly assembled position, the table top is lowered to normal position. Locking pin Eli enters opening 68, thus locking the table top in position. The parts thus assembled, as shown in Fig. 1, serve as a high chair. When the chair and table are to be disassembled, locking pin 56 is released, the top raised, and the chair lifted to remove pins 66 from the openings 63. The chair may then be used as a low chair with the runners 20-22 resting on the floor or ground.

I claim:

1. An article of furniturecomprising a table, the table having leg members of substantially inverted U shape at each side, cross bars extending between and secured to the leg members at the front and rear of the table, a table top pivotally mounted on the rear cross bar, a spring letopis in normal position, it is supported at the front by cross detail in Fig. ii, a spring catch comprising two cooperating parts secured respectively to the table top and the front cross bar to secure the table top to the front cross bar, the table top, when in normal position. being spaced from the cross bars, and a chair member comprising a seat, a pair of vertically extending side frame members extending below the seat. horizontal runners formed on the lower ends of the side frame members, said runners being adapted to rest upon the cross bars of the table n h a r as em le 0 the t n Q l l 1 252 q d i i b 9 1? Of he o s a -s nd n a in he unne s t p e d eentofthe chain.

support the top a sufficient distance above the 1- 0- the runners 29-42 of the 3. An article of furniture comprising a table, the table having a pair of'leg members at each side, cross bars extending between and secured to the leg members at the front and rear of the table, a table top pivotally mounted on the rear cross bar, means for securing the table top to the front cross bar to retain it in normal position,

the table top being spaced from the cross bars, and a chair member comprising a seat, a pair of vertically extending side frame members extending below the seat, horizontal runners formed on the lower ends of the side frame members, said runners being adapted to rest upon the cross bars of the table when the chair is assembled on the table, and locking means carriedby one of the cross bars and engaging the runners to prevent displacement of the chair.

4. An article of furniture comprising a table, the table having leg members of substantially inverted U shape at each side, .cross bars extending between and secured to the leg members at the front and rear of the table, a table top pivotally mounted on the rear cros bar, a spring catch comprising two cooperating parts secured respectively to the table top and the front cross bar to secure the table top to the front cross bar, the table top, when in normal position, being spaced from the cross bars, and a chair member comprising a seat, a pair of vertically extending side frame members extending below the seat, horizontal runners formed on the lower ends of the side frame members, said runners being adapted to rest upon the cross bars of the table when the chair is assembled on the table, and pins carried by the front cross bar, the pins being received in openings in the runners to retain the chair in position.

5. An article of furniture comprising a table, the table having a pair of leg members at each side, cross bars extending between and secured to the leg members at the front and rear of the table, a table top pivotally mounted on the rear cross bar, means for securing the table top to the front cross bar to retain it in normal position, the table top being spaced from the cross bars, and a chair member comprising a seat, a pair of vertically extending side frame members extending below the seat, horizontal runners formed on the lower ends of the side frame members, said runners being adapted to rest upon the cross bars of the table when the chair is assembled on the table, and pins earried by the front cross bar, the pins being received in openings in the runners to retain the chair in position. 

